Almost Lovers
by LovelyLytton
Summary: Sailor Mercury finds herself travelling to Earth on the Queen's orders, but being a diplomat is more challenging than expected. Written for the sm fanswap.


**Almost Lovers**

**

* * *

**

Sometimes Mercury wished that she had Mars' ability to look into the future, because in this case, the good times just weren't worth the pain the bad ones sent through her soul. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and died.

* * *

"Sailor Mercury, as you know we are in negotiations with Earth about its possible admission into the Silver Alliance. Sailor Venus was assigned with the task of assessing Earth's progress through a series of visits, but the Queen decided to send you from now on instead. Please prepare to leave first thing tomorrow morning, the coordinates and some notes assembled by your predecessor are already on your desk. We expect this to be handled with utmost diplomacy and caution; you are solely there to observe and your judgement is meant for the Queen's ears alone. You are expressly forbidden from using your planetary powers. Do you have any questions?"

Staring into Luna's taxing eyes, the crown princess of Mercury shook her head slowly despite actually almost bursting with curiosity. Why her? What had Venus done to fall out of the Queen's favour? Did Serenity know about this? What about the visits' logistics? The movement of her head stopped and she frowned.

"How are these visits organised? Does the Terran royalty know about them?"

"Yes. You will be taken on guided tours by the Prince's personal guards, so anything and everything you say will be directly passed on to the Prince himself. Be very careful not to raise any false hopes by complimenting them too much, for as I've said, you are the Queen's designated observer, not the Alliance's spokesperson."

Excusing herself, Mercury made her way to her personal study. She suddenly had an inkling as to why Venus had been stripped of her position - it was a well-known fact that the blonde fully supported Earth's admission to the Silver Alliance. Mercury herself didn't know much about the nearby blue planet and that needed to be rectified immediately since her mission was of utmost importance. The next morning wasn't far away and she had to be prepared to the best of her abilities.

She didn't get much sleep that night.

* * *

Morning came and with it a nervous excitement. She had wondered time and again why it had been her that the Queen had picked to replace Venus and she still wasn't quite certain. Jupiter was not able to conceal her emotions, so she might have tipped the Terrans off too easily. Mars however was infinitely graceful, unfailingly polite and at the same time reserved enough to keep the emotional distance that this mission required. Really, it made no sense not to send her! While Mercury wasn't in the habit of deprecating herself, she was aware that her talents lay in the realm of solving problems by thinking and most decidedly not in diplomacy. She had never really played a part in dealing with other planets but her own and it wasn't something she had been interested in.

Frankly, it drove her insane.

But now that she had been awarded the Queen's trust, she was determined not to disappoint the benevolent monarch.

Checking the coordinates on the thick parchment once again, she concentrated and disappeared with a quiet pop. Only seconds later, she found herself in a large forest. Her stomach was rocked by bouts of nausea that apparently came with the interplanetary apparition to Earth, something no one had seen fit to warn her about. Travelling to Mercury had never induced this unpleasant feeling and she made a mental note to check why Earth was harder to access. Did it have to do with some sort of defence system they had or was it to be attributed to the planet's gravity?

Something heavy came into contact with her shoulder, taking her by surprise. Whirling around, the scientist quietly worried about her planetary powers being off limits for the duration of the stay. She came face to face with an obscenely large man with unruly auburn hair.

He laughed. "Now you are more jumpy than Venus, that's for sure."

Immediately, a feeling of inferiority to her leader crept up on her, along with a blush that she tried her hardest to suppress. Brave and sociable Venus would have turned slowly, a smile on her face and courage in her eyes, but it was Mercury that the Queen had sent and she had a job to do. His grin slid off his face and was replaced by something not as easily identifiable. It might have been disappointment at the lack of witty banter on her part. He inclined his head in a bow so short that it was clearly a violation against protocol.

"I am General Nephrite. It's an honour to meet you, Sailor Mercury."

Obviously, some sort of communication had passed between Earth and Moon that had informed the general about the change in personnel. "Queen Serenity I. sends her regards to King Athlean and the royal family." She bowed to him, too, but hers was deeper and more elegant. She had practised in front of her mirror before leaving, desperate to make a good impression.

He simply nodded in acknowledgement and then began to walk towards a castle whose turrets were visible in the distance. Blinking, she remained rooted to the spot for the briefest of moments before following him. General Nephrite had already started to speak, either not noticing or not caring that the blue-haired woman was not at his side. Once she had caught up with him, she gathered from his words that they were to visit a bastion today that housed Earth's most skilled warriors, trained by the general himself.

Thoroughly unimpressed by her visit to Earth, Mercury had returned to the Moon and diligently written a detailed report, chronicling every word she had heard and describing each minute she had spent there. She didn't know what exactly it was that had cost Venus her coveted position as chief diplomat, but the heiress of the watery planet had no intention of unwittingly making the same mistake, so she was even more careful than usual.

The queen called for her three days later - the meeting was so private that not even Artemis and Luna were invited. Recounting her experiences as objectively as possible, Mercury fought her nervousness. The Queen listened to her with a thoughtful expression. She enquired after the Crown Prince, but Mercury had not yet met the young man. He was rumoured to encompass everything that was good about the Terrans, loved by them as much as a ruler could be, very much the counterpart to their very own Princess Serenity who was adored by all. This thought the blue-clad soldier kept to herself though; she hadn't spent much time with her Queen yet and didn't dare to confide her unprofessional musings for fear of seeming to bold.

Mercury was dismissed without any further instructions but travelling to Earth three more times and reporting back personally just as she had now. The written report had been deemed unnecessary and tossed in the fire, a precaution to be taken against any spies that might have infiltrated the palace.

Earth turned slowly on the dark firmament, not yet a military force to be reckoned with, even though the fierce General Nephrite seemed to think so. The tall man was intensely proud of his home and his soldiers, but Mercury knew that it would take only one of the senshi to take them all down. It was one of the most treasured secrets the Silver Alliance had and after having seen the best of Earth's defence, Mercury understood the need for secrecy. If their secret leaked before an alliance was formed, simple fear of the Moon people would turn the Terrans against them in the blink of an eye.

* * *

Sitting at her desk, she once again picked up the letter that contained the necessary coordinates and a brief, but very polite note by General Zoisite. He had sent her a schedule of the tour he intended to take with her and even without knowing the man, Mercury was already certain that they would get along better than she and General Nephrite had. Nephrite was a brash man, not willing or able to play by the rules of court and etiquette. He had shown her what she had come to see, given her all the information he had deemed necessary, but hadn't bothered with any niceties: he was too straightforward for that. It made him utterly unsuitable for diplomacy of any kind and Mercury thought that it reflected poorly on Prince Endymion and his father, the High King, to have picked him for this task. While there were quite a lot of things she would have rather done, the senshi would have never allowed that sentiment to influence the mission she had been assigned.

Also, people who didn't follow protocol always made Mercury nervous. Their behaviour tended to stray into the unexpected, thus leaving her without the vastly important guideline that mutual rules of politeness were to her. But judging from the elegance of his phrases and the neatness of his writing, that wouldn't be something she needed to worry about when it came to meeting Endymion's next general.

Just before she left, the sound of hurried steps and the calling of her given name held her back. It was Venus, running after her.

The leader of the senshi had been less than cordial in the past weeks, ever since it became public knowledge that her place as Moon's first diplomat had been taken from her. The fact that it was hardly Mercury's fault had done nothing to ease the tense line of her lips and soften the blazing expression in her eyes. The whole court was buzzing with rumours and Venus' unusual behaviour fuelled them more wildly by the minute. She was keeping to herself, shunning company in general and Mercury's in particular. It seemed as if they were only fellow soldiers now, when only weeks ago they had been friends.

The sudden reclusiveness of their leader had also been noticed by Mars and Jupiter and the latter had said that for someone who normally had several courtiers buzzing around her like bees around a flower, this was worrying indeed.

Not quite coming to a halt opposite Mercury, Venus almost jumped towards her and embraced the lithe woman in a hug so fierce that it conveyed more than the hushed "I'm sorry" that reached her ears ever could. Stunned by the unexpected but welcome kindness, Mercury returned the hug and closed her eyes, apparating back to the planet that had so far caused her nothing but trouble.

* * *

When she opened her eyes again, the scenery differed wildly from the one that had welcomed her on her last visit. Then, it had been trees and bushes everywhere. Now, it was smooth marble all around. Noticing that the journey wasn't so bad when she kept her eyes closed, she looked around herself. She was standing in the middle of a large square that was deserted save for one person. It was a man with long blonde hair, dressed in a uniform very much like the one General Nephrite had worn. He walked towards in appropriately measured steps, a friendly smile on his face. Just after they had made eye contact, he bowed deeply and uttered the customary greetings in perfectly pronounced Mercurian. Despite herself, Serenity's soldier found herself breaking into an excited smile. It was so rare to hear the language spoken on her home planet that it caused her heart to flutter because of the dearly missed familiarity. Not missing a beat, she responded the courtesy.

"You speak Terran!" he exclaimed, delight visible on his finely carved face.

"I try, but my pronunciation still needs work - unlike yours, you speak wonderfully!"

Together, they walked down the vast square, enveloped in a conversation that had nothing and everything to do with the task both of them had been designated by their respective rulers. Occasionally, he would point to one of the large buildings that framed the marble square, but because of the schedule he had sent, she was already well informed and thus able to enjoy the buildings for their architecture as opposed to wondering what their significance was. They toured the most renowned university of the Golden Kingdom, the place where brilliant minds tried to solve the secrets of the world. General Zoisite mixed factual information with anecdotes from his own experiences here, thus creating a lively narrative that she followed with more interest than she had anticipated.

Three hours later, she found herself in a library so dark that it was barely possible to make out the titles on the spines of the books. He explained that they had separate reading rooms, but that the exquisite and irreplaceable manuscripts had to be protected from the sun's fierce light. It was a new concept to the woman who lived on the Moon, where an atmosphere created solely by its ruler's magic protected everything that needed protecting as if they lived under a giant, impenetrable bell jar. He pulled one of the larger tomes from its place on the wooden shelf, and shedding his gloves, traced the pages with his bare fingers, encouraging her to do the same. As soon as she touched the crisp parchment that had been used as a keeper of knowledge, she felt a smile rise on her face. Seeing their hands together on the pages, she noticed that both of them had ink-stains on their fingers - the mark of scholars.

Further proving his thoughtfulness, he had organised a small dinner at the end of the day, insisting that she needed sustenance in order to gain the necessary strength for travelling back to the Moon.

While her first instinct was delight, her second was caution. Maybe it had all been a ploy to get her to spill the Alliance's secrets, first making her wary through the brusque General Nephrite and then loosening her tongue in the presence of his infinitely friendlier comrade. But upon seeing the pleading look in his green eyes, she decided that as long as she was careful, there was nothing that spoke against staying a little longer. After all, it would mean gaining more information that her Queen could use to make a decision. Thus justifying her behaviour to herself, she sat down opposite him in the small dining hall that adjourned the library.

Soon, the sound of their voices and their laughter cut through the building's usual silence.

* * *

When she returned to her chambers after having spent almost sixteen hours on Earth, Mercury was knackered and exhilarated at the same time. It had been such a pleasant trip, so much more pleasant than expected. General Zoisite had been an excellent host and the library with its smell of dust and knowledge had tipped the scales strongly in Earth's favour. Science was alive on the blue planet, a vital part of its society. There were things even the Moon could learn from the Terran scientists, unlike from its military. The planets that were already part of the Silver Alliance were so superior in that aspect that it would be hundreds of years before Earth would be able to catch up and become an useful ally.

She had just drawn herself a bath when a knock on the door interrupted her. It was Venus.

"The Queen has sent me to get you."

Mercury couldn't tell whether or not the leader of the senshi was displeased with being used as a common messenger, but at least Venus didn't seem to be mad at her.

The two senshi made their way to the Queen's private conference chamber, walking side by side with practised ease. Because of the lateness of the hour, the corridors were deserted.

"So which one did you meet today?" Venus inquired casually.

"General Zoisite. He was very helpful, he was even so considerate as to send me a schedule before the meeting."

Venus smiled. "He's very organised, a bit like you, actually. I did think that you would get along."

This thought was oddly pleasing to Mercury, but she didn't dwell on it. It was a habit of her friend to drop comments like those and most of the time there were nothing but good-natured teasing. Out of the corner of her eyes, Mercury could have sworn that she saw Venus grin.

"So now it's only Jadeite and Kunzite who are still missing from your picture," the blonde continued.

While Mercury noticed that Venus didn't use the titles, she didn't comment on the unsuitable familiarity. "Do you know them well?"

"I wouldn't say so, no. I've met them, but I don't know them." A wistful expression flitted over her face, and Ami suddenly realised that there were a million things she did not know about Venus as opposed to the hundreds her leader had allowed her to find out. It was another thought she filed away for later consideration.

Once they reached the door leading to the Queen's chambers, Venus winked and turned, leaving Mercury alone.

* * *

There was something in the blonde man's eyes that told her to be wary. It seemed as if he could stare right into her soul and for a person as private as Mercury, that was deeply unsettling. General Jadeite smiled a smile that didn't reach his cold blue eyes and proceeded to lead her through the large temple. She cast her eyes on the polished floor, feeling that not looking at him was actually the best course of action. In this place of worship, she was an unwelcome intruder and that was a sentiment he seemed to share. But at least it would be easy to report back to Queen Serenity - praying was the same everywhere one went, there was no progress to measured, no distinction to be made. It was a matter of heart and soul entirely.

He told her some statistics about the temple's attendance, how it was visited by people from every social class, be it a beggar or the king and how the gates of the temple were always open, no matter the time of day or night. When she asked how old the building was (a question merely posed to not seem too intimidated by his rude demeanour to actually speak), his answer was brief and his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, the temple has been built some 300 years ago, but I'm sure that there will be record of that up on the Moon." No, General Jadeite did not like to see his home under the supervision of strangers, that much was painfully obvious. But Mercury also thought of the first report she had written about Earth and how her Queen had burnt it without so much as looking at it. Few written records were kept, something Mercury had been less than happy about when she had attempted to learn something about the blue planet before actually travelling to it.

If the first visit to Earth had been unpleasant, then this one was torture. The third shitennou had not hidden the fact that he preferred Venus's company to hers; she knew that he found her to be boring and bland. Why the curious expression in his eyes still led her to think that he was prodding her for information when he obviously thought she had nothing of interest to share confused her because of its illogicality. Trying her best to hide her uneasiness, she reverted to silence. What she would have given for General Zoisite's presence! The two men looked so alike and yet they couldn't differ more; one warm where the other was cold, one hopeful where the other was cynical. Sailor Mercury knew whose company she preferred; there was no contest, really. Prince Endymion must be a strange ruler to surround himself with such wilful men.

Passing a group of women at the entrance that had come for gossiping as much as for praying, she heard them whisper as they laid some flowers at the feet of a gigantic statue.

"I'm telling you, it's true!"

"Don't be silly, it's well known that General Kunzite is involved with one of the Queen's gentlewoman."

"He might have been, but have you seen Venus? The Queen's gentlewoman doesn't stand a chance against a fairy from the Moon! And my friend Mabel, who is a servant at court, has told me in strictest confidence that Lady Venus has secretly visited him. In the middle of the night! You don't need to be gifted with a sixth sense to grasp what that means!"

Mercury's head snapped up.

Beside her, the blonde man smirked, his cunning eyes full of knowledge.

* * *

The senshi lounged in Serenity's private garden when Mercury returned. Jupiter was busy showing the princess some new flowers that she had planted the day before: luscious silver roses that had already fully blossomed under Jupiter's magical and capable hands. Mars sat by herself, preoccupied with by her own mind. One never knew what went on behind those purple eyes, the senshi of fire might just look into one's own future. Mercury had long since gotten used to the shrewd glances the black-haired woman occasionally sent her way. She didn't mean her any harm, and it wasn't as if Mars could help it, anyway: her gift took hold of her whether she wanted it to or not. Mars had once sighed and told Mercury that she envied her for the calm and unfailingly analytical mind she possessed. The compliment was one she still treasured.

A few metres from everyone else, Venus leaned motionless against a large tree, and not even the gentle wind dared to toy with her long tresses today. Preparing herself for the inevitable, Mercury crossed the distance and struggled to find the right words. Questioningly, Venus raised a delicate brow.

"What is it?"

Despite the crisp manner in which the question was asked, the eyes that looked upon her held a friendly expression. Looking over her shoulder, Mercury was happy to see that the others had neither heard her approach nor spotted her. Years of practically living in libraries had taught her to move without making many sounds. A deep breath was taken, and she jumped in: "Do you want me to pass a message along?"

For the briefest of moments, Venus seemed confused, but then clarity dawned on her features. It came with a scolding smirk, similar to the one she had seen on General Jadeite earlier today."So you have heard the rumours." It wasn't a question, it was an accusation. The blush that tinted her cheeks gave her away, just like it always did.

Mercury would have liked to say that Venus had dug her own grave if there was even a hint of truth in the whispered words she had overheard, because private contact to Terrans was strictly forbidden as long as their planet wasn't officially a part of the Silver Alliance. Some might even call it high treason and the punishment for that was so severe that she dreaded to think of it. But she also wished to express that a small part of her could understand what had led the blonde astray and that this part of her wanted to help. Where this had suddenly come from, Mercury couldn't say.

But she didn't dare to voice these things, for her friend had slipped on the mask that allowed her to be their leader. It was a measure of protection as much as one of authority. Now nothing could be gained from observing her face, from looking into her eyes. Venus had shut herself away completely and while it wasn't the first time that the princess of Mercury had observed this ability, it was the first time that she was the cause of it.

It was the way that her leader looked at her that as good as forbade her to continue speaking. "Mercury, did you ever consider that there might be no truth to these rumours? And even if there were, that it was no one's business but mine and his? So no, I do not want any message delivered, because I really don't have anything I wish to say right now." The words were uttered in the most even way, no rising of the intonation at any point. It was a dismissal if there ever was one.

* * *

The fourth and final visit to Earth should have been a good one.

She had received a schedule beforehand, her guide was probably the most polite man she had ever met and the parliament had impressed her greatly. It was there that she had learned that the shitennou were more than just Endymion's guardians, they were kings in their own right that had chosen to bind themselves to this prince that would one day follow his father on the throne of the high king out of their own free will. It wasn't the sudden realisation of her guide's political standing that made her tongue-tied, but the thought that it was for this man that Venus had risked everything, including her position as the Moon court's chief diplomat.

The silver-haired general led her into the palace. Courtiers and noblewoman were chatting everywhere, their voices culminating in a loud buzz that quieted when he passed them by. That the eldest of the shitennou was held in high regard was obvious, but Mercury remembered that it had been the same with the other guardians. The soldiers she had seen General Nephrite around clearly looked up to him, the scientists had been more than fond of General Zoisite and the priests in the temple had looked at General Jadeite as if he were one of their own, which was the highest compliment they could have paid him.

"Sailor Mercury, is there anything you wish me to arrange for?"

"Oh no, thank you, everything is perfect. The parliament has been very interesting to visit."

"I hope you don't mind me saying so, but from what General Zoisite told me about you, I expected more inquiries. He said that you were very curious and thoughtful, always startling him with particularly clever questions."

She didn't remember asking him much, their conversation had flown so freely that it had been hard to remember what she had asked and what he had volunteered on his own.

"How is General Zoisite?"

"He has travelled to his own kingdom two weeks ago, but will be back soon. He sends his warmest regards."

Mercury smiled to herself. She hoped that she would get a chance to meet with the young general again, it would be bitter to have found such an excellent conversationalist only to never see him again. Something in her clicked and she made a decision. Looking up, she met Kunzite's eyes.

"General, could we go to a place a little more private? There is something I wish to speak to you about, but we can't do it here." She made a small gesture to the people around them, all of whom were eyeing them with more or less well concealed curiosity.

If he was surprised by her request, he hid it well and simply inclined his head in acceptance. Nervousness bubbled up in her stomach – a line would be crossed today and remembering how she had been warned not to interfere and only observe, she knew that it might come to cost her greatly.

It wasn't long before the corridors they walked through were less populated. His calloused hand touched the marble wall and opened a door that she was certain hadn't been there before.

They stepped into a wild garden, hidden in the inner part of the castle. She wondered if it was his. Large oaks towered over one side of the green grass, protecting it from the sun's burning light. Few flowers had been planted, which was the initial reason why she had assumed that this was a place belonging to a man. Other than one encasing the door behind them, there were no walls to be seen.

She stepped into the shadows the trees afforded. Her skin had not gotten used to the aggressive light and after meeting Lord Nephrite, it had been burnt quite intensely. Her princess had prodded the large red spots time and again, marvelling that sun could do this on Earth but not on the Moon.

"I do not mean to pry, but I heard some rumours in the temple on my last visit." His face remained blank, nothing more than polite concern visible in his eyes. "The rumours were about you and Sailor Venus."

"Noble Mercury, sometimes rumours are just that: rumours. But I do appreciate you telling me about them, I will see what I can do to squelch them them. Please send my sincerest apologies to the Lady Venus, I hope she has not suffered from my people's loose tongues." Unlike her friend, he did not seem the least bit concerned; neither angry nor offended. It was this very neutrality that made her deeply suspicious. But her suspicions were not be acted upon, as they were disturbed by a merry set of voices, one of which she immediately recognised as the young general's.

Following the sound of merry banter, Kunzite and Mercury stepped deeper into the garden that seemed so oddly out of place in the middle of the lavish palace. But then Mercury wasn't certain that the General hadn't just teleported them to some distant location. It felt more like being in a forest than in an actual garden and all the sounds of the court were drowned out completely. She could hear birds, the wind playing with the leaves and the voices that she felt almost physically pulled towards, but the constant buzz of the palace was blissfully absent. Paying her surroundings less heed with every step she took, she shot a glance at her companion, but he just nodded and lifted some branches up so that she could advance through the passage thus created.

Her movements had quickened and a carefully happy expression had settled on her face. If ever asked about it, she would deny that just hearing Zoisite's voice would have made her act so and she would have believed her own lie. A few more steps, and they reached the talking men. They had their backs to them.

Quite deliberately, the silver-haired diplomat stepped on a branch, which cracked loudly and thus alerted them to their presence. Both men whipped around.

"Mercury!" Zoisite left his comrade without so much as a glance and bounded over to the unexpected company, bowing deeply to the senshi. His behaviour was a perfect culmination of personal delight and strict adherence to protocol; it set Mercury at ease. Noticeably though, the dark-haired man who stood a few metres away made no move to even incline his head, instead staring at her with ill-hidden interest.

It was Kunzite that shed light on the situation by deeply bowing to the man himself, who groaned in return. "How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?"

Quickly deducing that few could get away with speaking to the stern General like that and that he in turn would only bow to the High King, the Queen and the Crown Prince, Mercury realised that she found herself opposite Prince Endymion himself.

* * *

"And so my final report must conclude that Crown Prince Endymion is more than prepared to prove himself and his planet as valuable additions to the Silver Alliance." Queen Serenity I. looked at the blue-clad soldier with a barely concealed smile. It was the first time during their confidential meetings that her daughter's guardian had volunteered her own opinion – so far she had strictly adhered to the order of relaying her experiences on the wild planet without flourish or agenda. It was because of the thus displayed neutrality that her words held the weight they did now.

Mercury had indeed risen to the challenge, the Queen noted with pride.

* * *

It was one of the most lavish affairs she had ever attended – the Moon court's decorators had outdone themselves. Mercury had been designated to welcome the royal party at the apparition point and lead them into the ballroom. Both Jadeite and Nephrite had been more polite than they had been on her visits to their planet, something that undoubtedly came with their Prince's presence and his joy of the official advancement of the negotiations. Nothing was set in stone yet, but for the first time ambassadors were to be exchanged. It was the promise of a better future.

Both Queen and Princess waited for the royal guests, the lights of hundreds of chandeliers illuminating them. They were dressed in their customary white dresses, visions of grace and beauty. Even Jadeite lost the cynical expression that he had worn upon entering the luxuriant room and sunk into a deep bow. Jupiter and Mars stood behind Serenity, patiently waiting to be introduced and using this opportunity to assess the Terran party. Venus was not to be seen.

Hours passed and the ball was in its most golden hour when Mercury spotted Venus's back. The blonde was heading to the throne and sunk to her knees gracefully once she arrived. She waited until the monarch beckoned her to rise. Endymion, who had been talking to Princess Serenity under Mars' watchful eyes excused himself and strode over to them, taking Venus' hands into his and thanking her profusely. Everyone's eyes turned to the Queen at this clear violation of court etiquette.

But the monarch had no word of reprimand for either the young prince or her subject. Instead, she looked at them fondly and rose to speak. Her voice could be heard in the furthest corner of the room. "I am glad to see you rejoicing at seeing our dear Venus, since it is her that I intend to send Earth as our ambassador."

Unbeknownst to Mercury, Zoisite had snuck up next to her. He whispered into her ear, once again choosing the language of her home planet. Through the sound of the clapping people, his words were difficult to catch."They have all played us quite well, haven't they?" He grinned, his green eyes sparkling with mirth.

Frowning, she shifted her gaze from Venus to Zoisite. "What do you mean?" Whenever she spoke Mercurian, she spoke faster than she would when using the common language that most of the galaxy employed for communicating with each other.

He cocked his head to the side, and looked at her shrewdly, waiting for her to piece it together. "I can see that you are still missing one vital piece of information. Look at Kunzite."

Following his directions, her eyes travelled across the room to the white-haired general who for once couldn't hide his emotions. He looked relieved, like someone who had successfully jumped from one cliff to the next while having feared all the time that he couldn't make it. And suddenly she was able to put the pieces of the puzzle into place, finally seeing the picture she had helped to shape. Yes, sometimes rumours were just rumours. But sometimes rumours were deliberately planted to set things into motion.

Her eyes shot up to meet Zoisite's. "They planned it all along, didn't they? They knew that Venus' outspoken support of Earth had made Queen Serenity less likely to believe her reports, so they planted these rumours to make sure that I was sent instead!"

"If it's any consolation, I didn't find out about until after your last visit. Jadeite was smarter than I was, he had an inkling that something was wrong from the beginning."

Not quite sure whether to feel offended or flattered, Mercury sent a tentative glare into Venus' direction, but the blonde didn't catch it. Th soldier of love looked at the highest ranking shitennou and he inclined his head in return, a slow smile forming on his lips.

Zoisite laughed. "Now, don't be mad. Your reports weren't falsified, not in the slightest. You were chosen by your Queen because you are so trustworthy and that's not a bad thing, is it?"

Mercury mumbled something he didn't catch and blushed. Still looking absurdly pleased, he lowered his head to hers in an attempt to cheer her up.

"Lady Mercury, will you do me the honour of dancing with me?"

As he spun her around, she noticed Serenity and Endymion once again deep in conversation. They were to remain so for the rest of the night. It was a night Mercury wouldn't forget until her dying day.

* * *

Zoisite uncaringly stepped over her crumpled body, leaving the ballroom he had fallen in love with her in three years ago. Darkness had won, chaos reigned. The world would soon come to an end.

**The End**


End file.
